Mentor wrestling coach Ken Skilton to step down after 13 seasons

Mentor wrestling coach Ken Skilton led the Cardinals to 10 league championships and a 229-14 record in dual meets as a head coach. (Special to The Plain Dealer)

MENTOR, Ohio - Mentor wrestling coach Ken Skilton is stepping down after 13 seasons as head coach and an association with the program that spans nearly three decades.

"It's been a year-to-year thing for the last couple years," Skilton said. "We'll still have a really good team next year with two returning state qualifiers coming back. It's just time. I have a young daughter that I coach her soccer and softball teams, I'm head of the math department, and I'm very involved in my church. I want to be able to spend more time with those kinds of things."

Skilton, who wrestled at Mentor, has coached a total of 21 years there. As a head coach, his teams won 10 league championships and were 229-14 in dual meets.

He was promoted in 1999 to succeed Joe Hada, who also won more than 200 duals and coached 19 seasons. Before Hada, Jim Schonauer coached 14 years.

"We've had a nice run of stability in that program and that's what we want to continue," Athletic Director Jeff Cassella said.

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